Elevating and dumping apparatus



Nov. 3, 1953 L.. J. COLLINS 2,657,815

ELEVATING AND DUMPING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 26, 1951 2 Shee\s-Shee1 l INVENTOR.

Nov. 3, 1953 J. COLLINS 2,657,815

ELEVATING AND DUMPING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 26, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 patented Nov. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELEVATING AND DUMPING APPARATUS Lowell J. Collins, Oakland, Calif.

Application December .26, 1951, Serial No. 263,253

Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in means for elevating and dumping containers, particularly for the purpose of increasing production and reducing manual labor in connection with the manufacture of cottage cheese and similar products, though the apparatus may be used for any purpose requiring the elevating and dumping of ingredients or materials. This apparatus has the advantage of being limited to predetermined degrees of elevating and lowering movem nts with the elevator platform being automatically inverted during the terminal portion of the elevating movement, the elevator is stopped when the platform is completely inverted and the platform with its load is coincidently set into vibration or agitation to shake all of the contents loose from the walls of the containers to cause complete discharge of the contents. By manually reversing the electrical circuit, the elevator is lowered, the platform being righted with initial lowering movement and agitation is stopped with initial righting movement of the platform. When the platform reaches its lowermost position, the container securing mean is automatically released and retracted, ready for manual removal of the containers and reloading. The container securing means automatically locks the containers on the platform with initial elevating movement of the platform.

In the preparation of cottage cheese, the curd is supplied in relatively large cans which prove quite heavy and unwieldy for manual lifting and dumping into the mixing machines the tops of which are relatively high, and each mixing machine will hold several cans of curd, cream, and other ingredients to be added, at a considerable cost in labor coupled with the strenuous effort required by the operators, cutting down on production because of the time and effort required for lifting, dumping, and cleaning out the several cans.

This invention overcomes the above disadvantages of manual operation because the cans for a complete batch can be merely rolled onto the elevator platform and a switch closed. The elevator starts and the cans are immediately locked to the platform. At the upper terminal the platform with its cans is automatically inverted to dump the contents of the cans into the mixer, and when inverted, the elevator is stopped and the vibrating mechanism set in motion to remove the contents adhering to the walls from the cans, and continues the vibration until the circuit is reversed to lower the platform, the agitation first being terminated, and the platform lowered and righted during the first portion of lowering movement, and when the platform reaches its lower terminal the cans are freed and the elevator stopped. Therefore the only actual manual labor required includes the removal of empty cans, rolling full cans onto the platform, and operating one switch.

The objects and advantages of the invention are as follows:

First, to provide elevating and dumping means for containers which will automatically dump the contents of the containers into a receptacle when a predetermined elevation is attained.

Second, to provide means as outlined with can securing and top supporting means for the dumping operation and which is automatically actuated to secure the cans with initial elevating movement.

Third, to provide means as outlined in which the cans are inverted at the upper terminal of travel of the elevating means and immediately set into vibration to free adhering material from the walls of the cans.

Fourth, to provide means as outlined which is relatively simple in construction, easy to operate, efiicient in dumping, and capable of elevating and dumping a number of cans simultaneously with each cycle of operations, and which is automatic in all operations other than placing and removing the cans and operating the elevator motor switch.

In describing the invention reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of the dumping and agitating mechanism for the elevator platform and cans.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of Fig. 3, Figs. 3, 4 and 5 being shown to an enlarged scale.

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the elevator platform illustrating a means for maintaining the relative alignment of the elevator platform for inversion and agitation.

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary top plan view of the cradles for locating the cans on the platform.

Fig. 8 is a simplified wiring diagram for the motor circuits.

The invention include a housing having a rear wall 10, side walls II and I2, a top wall or head i3, and a floor or base l4, the base being adjustable legs l5.

Mounted on the base is a motor l6 which drives a speed reducer I! through a suitable drive arrangement I8 with the speed reducer driving the elevator tail sprocket l9 through a suitable drive 29 and shaft 2| which shaft is mounted in bearings 22 supported on the underside of the base. The elevator head sprocket 23 is mounted on a shaft 24 which is supported in the bearings 25 which in turn are supported by the head of the housing.

A pair of transversely spaced elevator guides 26 and 21 extend from the base to the top of the housing, and sleeve members 26 and 29 are slidable on these guides. Each of these sleeve members has an integral support arm as indicated at 30 and which arms support the elevator platform by the eccentrics 3| of a shaft 32, and which eccentrics are rotatable in the bearings 33 at the respective ends of the platform, the shaft being.

rotatably supported in the arms as indicated.

Rotatably mounted on the outside of each sleeve member is a gear 34 which meshes with a smaller gear 35 which is also rotatably mounted on the sleeve-arm combination, the preferred ratio between these gears being about 2:1. Integral with or fixed to each gear 34 is a cam arm 36 which carries a roller 31 and which rollers operate in slots 38 provided in the walls of the housing andwhich slots terminate at their upper ends in diagonal portions 39 with the diagona1 portions extending backwardly a distance slightly in excess of the distance from the axis of the gear 34 to the extreme peripheral edge of the roller. A switch 49 is mounted at the terminal end of one diagonal slot for cooperation with the roller.

Mounted on the shaft 4|, on which the gears 35 are fixed, is a drive sprocket 42 which is con nected by a chain 43 with the driven sprocket 44 whichis rotatable on the shaft 32. A crossbeam 45 is fixed to this driven sprocket and has guide connections 46 to the elevator platform 41.

Rotatably mounted on the shaft 4| is a driven member 48 which is suitably driven by the motor 49, and a driving member 50 is integral with or fixed on the same hub 5| with the member 49, and this member 59 drives the member 52 which is fixed on the shaft 32. The motor 49 is mounted on a spacer or crossbeam 53which is supported by and between the sleeve members 28 and 29, and forms the connection for the elevator chain 54 the frontal strand of which is fixed thereto as indicated at 54 and 54'.

The elevator platform has a front guard 55 for engaging the fronts of the cans 56, and has a rear guard 51 which is provided with saddles 58 for locating the several cans. The platform is provided with a series of rollers 59 to facilitate transfer of the cans thereon and to ease the burden of the operator.

The can securing means consists of a crossbar 69 having depending arms 6| which are pivoted at their lower ends to the ends of the platform as indicated at 62, and is normally swung forward into can engaging position by a spring 63. The arms have bell-crank extensions 64 which are cooperative with adjustable stop members 65.

A simplified wiring diagram for the motors is illustrated in Fig. 8 and is shown as including a two-way switch 40, a make-and-break switch 61 and a two-pole double throw switch 68.

When the elevator platform is in its lowermost position, the switch 61 is held open through cooperation of some movable part of the elevator such as the guide sleeve 28 or 29 or platform 41 with the switch arm 69 while the switch arm 19 of the switch 49 1s closed to the arm 1| at that time, and the switch 68 is closed to the contacts 12 and 13 with the circuit broken through the switch 61, this being the normal condition of the circuits, and the locking bar 69 is swung back to clear the cans through cooperation of the bellcrank arms with the stop members 65.

The cans 56 are rolled into their respective positions on the platform 41 and located in the cradles 59. The switch 69 is closed to the contacts 14 and 15, completing circuit from one side 16 of the power line throughconductor 11, blade 16 and conductor 19 to the motor l6, and from the motor through conductor to the other switch blade 8| to contact 15, through conductor 92, switch member 1|, switch arm 10, and through conductor 93 to the other side 94 of the power line, starting the elevator. With initial elevating movement the switch 61 is released to close that side of the circuit; and the can locking bar is freed andiengages over the tops of the cans.

As the roller 31 enters the diagonal portion 99 of the cam way, the elevator platform continues upward and is simultaneously invertedthrough the partial rotation of the gears 34 which cause almost a half turn of the gears 35, rotating the I shaft 4| and the drive member 42 with it which.

in turn rotates the driven member 44 to which the crossbar 45 is fixed, throughan angle of approximately 160 degrees to a position indicated in the dotted image 65, and at the terminal of upward travel of the platform and inversion of the platform, the roller engages theswitch button." of the switch 49, breaking the circuit to the elevator motor l6 and completing circuit to the agitating motor 49 from one side 94 of the. power line through conductor 63, switch arm 10, switch member 81, conductor 89, motor 49 and conductor 89 to the other side 16 of the power line, operating this motor which-has a driving connection through the driving member 99, belt 9| to the driven member 49 which is rotatable on the shaft 4| and fixed to a second drive member through an integral hub 5| and which through the belt 92 drives the member 52 which is fixed on the shaft 3|, the rotation of this shaft causing a vibratory or agitating action to the platform and the cans supported thereby through the medium of the eccentrics to shake out any material adhering to the sides and bottoms of the cans, and this agitation continues until the switch 68 is thrown to the position 69' which completes circuit from one side 16 of the power line. through conductor 93, contact 13, switch arm 8|, conductor 89 to motor l6, and from the motor through conductor 19, switch arm 19 to contact 12, conductor 94, switch arm 69 to switch member 95, and conductor 96 to the other side 84 of the power line.

This sets the motor H5 in reverse operation with the elevator platform starting to lower, and with initial lowering movement the roller 31 recedes from the button 96, freeing the switch arm 1|]v to break circuit to the motor 49 and complete circuit through the arm 1|, stopping the agitating motor and resetting the switch for the next elevating operation. As the platform is lowered while the roller 31 is passing back through the diagonal camway the platform and cans are returned to an upright position and are lowered to the base, and with final lowering movement the bellcrank extension 64 engages the stop member and moves the locking bar to clear the tops of the cans for removal, and.

with the terminal lowering movement the switch isv opened, breaking the circuit-to the motor |6 and stopping the elevator. Thus other than the placing and removal of cans and the operation of one switch 58, the complete cycle of operations is automatic.

I claim:

1'. Container elevating and dumping means comprising, a housing, a platform and a support therefor, elevating and lowering means for said platform and sup-port, means cooperative etween said housing and said platform and support during the terminal portion of the elevating movement for inverting said platform and support, and for returning said platform and support to an upright position during the initial lowering movement, means for securing containers on said platform, and eccentric means cooperative between said support and said platform and including driving means for agitating said platform relative to said support for thorough discharge of contents from the containers when said support and platform are in the inverted position; said elevating and lowering means including guide members, a first shaft, guide sleeves sliolable on said guide members and having forwardly projecting arms with said first shaft rotatably supported by said forwardly proiecting arms, and with said support supported by said shaft, said means cooperative between said housing, and said platform and support comprising a camway formed vertically in said housing and terminating at the upper end in a diagonal portion, and a lever pivoted to each guide sleeve and each having a roller operating in said cam way and including operative connections between said lever and said first shaft for maintaining said platform in an upright position while the rollers are operating in the vertical portion and inverting said platform when said rollers enter and travel in said diagonal portion, with said operative connections comprising said means cooperative.

2. Container elevating and dumping means comprising, a housing, a platform and a support therefor, elevating and lowering means for said platform and support, means cooperative between said housing and said platform and support during the terminal portion of the elevating movement for inverting said platform and support, and for returning said platform and support to an upright position during the initial lowering movement, means for securing containers on said platform, and eccentric means cooperative between said support and said platform and including driving means for agitating said platform relative to said support for thorough discharge of contents from the containers when said support and platform are in the inverted position; said means for securing comprising a locking bar to engage over the tops of the containers and having depending arms pivoted at their lower ends to said platform, and a Spring cooperative between said depending arms and said platform for normally maintaining said locking bar in engaging position over the tops of the containers, said depending arms having bellcrank extensions stop means cooperatively related to said bell crank extensions and comprising adjustable members cooperative with said bell crank extensions during the terminal portion of the lowering movement of said platform for moving said locking bar out of securing and obstructional relation to the containers, and releasing said locking bar for engagement over the tops of said containers during initial elevating movement.

3. Container elevating and dumping means comprising, a housing, a platform and a support therefor, elevating and lowering means for said platform and support, means cooperative between said housing and said platform and support during the terminal portion of the elevating movement for inverting said platform and support, and for returning said platform and support to an upright position during the initial lowering movement, means for securing containers on said platform, and eccentric means cooperative between said support and said platform and including driving means for agitating said platform relative to said support for thorough discharge of contents from the containers when said support and platform are in the inverted position; said elevating and lowering means including vertical guides and guide sleeves slidable thereon, and forwardly extending arms on said guide sleeves, a shaft rotatably supported in said arms and having an eccentric formed in each end portion between the arms with said platform supported on said eccentrics, a motor supported by said guide sleeves and an operative connection from said motor to said shaft for rotating said shaft for agitating said platform with its containers, and a switch for closing circuit to said motor with terminal elevating movement of the platform, and means associated with said platform and cooperative with said switch for closing said switch coincident with terminal inversion movement and breaking circuit with initial righting movement of the platform.

4. Container elevating and dumping means comprising a housing having side walls, a top wall and a base, elevating and lowering means including a head pulley and a tail pulley and a belt operating over said pulleys and located in said housing, a motor for operating said elevating and lowering means, vertical guides, and guide sleeves slidable on said guides, and a cross member connecting said sleeves and having the frontal strand of said belt anchored therein, a forwardly projecting arm on each guide sleeve, a support shaft journaled in said arms and having eccentrics formed in the end portions thereof, a platform support supported by said support shaft, a platform having bearings with said eccentrics rotatable therein a vertical camway provided for each side of said housing and terminating at the upper ends in digonal portions, an arm pivoted to each sleeve and a roller on each arm with the rollers operating in said camways, and operative connections between said arms pivoted and said platform support for maintaining said platform and platform support in an upright position while said rollers are operating in the vertical portions of said camways, and for inverting said platform when said rollers project into and operate in the diagonal portions, and righting the platform when the rollers return to the vertical portion means for driving said support shaft when said platform is inverted, and a switch for breaking circuit to said motor with one of said rollers engaging said switch to break circuit coincident with terminal elevating movement, and a manually controlled switch for reversing said motor for righting and lowering said platform with its containers at will.

5. A structure as defined in claim 4; said operative connection comprising a gear for each arm pivoted and integral therewith, an intermediate shaft having bearings in said projecting arms and a pinion fixed on each end of said intermediate shaft and meshing with the respective gears, a

first sprocket fixed adj acenti each pro'j acting arm: on said intermediate'shaft, a second sprocket' for each first sprocket'and rotatableon-said support shaft and a chain connecting said first and second sprockets, a crossbar fixed to each. secondsprocket, and vertically sliding. support members connecting the platform tothe crossbars with said crossbars comprising said platformsupport- 6. Container elevating and. dumping means comprising a housing having side'- walls, a top wall anda base, elevating andloweringimeansiina cluding a head pulley and a tail pulley and. a belt operating over said pulleys andlocatedin. said housing, a motor for operating said elevating and lowering. means, vertical guides, and guldesleeves slidable.on saidguidesia cross member connecting. saidsleevesandhaving thefrontal strand of. said belt. anchored therein as forwardly. projecting arm' on each guide sleeve, a. support. shaft journaledx in. said arms, a. platform. sup-- ported. by said support shaft, a vertical ca'mway' provided. for each side of said housingand terminating at the upper ends. in diagonal portions an arm pivoted. tov eachisleeve' and a:- roller on each arm with the rollers operating in said camways, and operative connections between said arms pivoted and said: platform: for maintaining: said platform in an. upright position" whilesaid rollers are operating in the vertical portionsv ofsaid camways, and for inverting saidplatform when said rollers project into and operate'in the diagonal portions, and righting the? platforr when the rollers return to the vertical portion; a locking bar to engage over the tops of. containers carriedby said platform and: having. depending arms pivoted at their lower ends tosaid platform, and a spring cooperative between said depending arms and said platform for. normally maintaining said locking bar'in. engaging position over the tops of said containers; said depending arms having bellcrank. extensions, stop means in cooperative. relation to said. bellcrank extensions for cooperation during the terminal portion of the lowering movement of. said platform for moving said locking bar out of obstructional relation to clear the contain'ersfor: removal and replacement.

7. Container elevating and dumping means. comprising a housing having sidei walls;.a top wall and abase, elevating andlowering'meansincluding a head pulley and a tail pulley. and a belt operating over said pulleys and; located. in said housing, a motor for operating. said. elevating and lowering. means, vertical: guides,v and. guide sleeves slidable on said guides,ha.cross.-'inember connecting said sleeves andhavingthefrontal strand of said belt anchoredthereima forwardly projecting arm on each. guide sleeve, a. support shaft journaled in said. arms, a: platform. supported by said support shaft, avertical camway' provided for each side of said housing and terminating at the upper endsin diagonalportion's; an arm pivoted to each sleeve and: a: roller: on each' arm with the rollers operating:inisaid camways, and operative connections between said arms pivoted and said platform. for maintainingsaid platform in an. upright position while said rollers are operating in the vertical portions of said camways, and for inverting said. platformi when said rollers projectintoandop'erate in the diagonal portions, and righting the platform when the rollers return to the verticalportiom. an eccentric formed on eachend portion of said support shaft between said arms, with'said'platform supported on bearings rotatable: onsaidec centricsai motor supportedon said cross member and having an operativeconnection with said support shaft for rotating said supportshaft for agitation of said platform with its load of containers, and aswitchfor closing circuit to said motor throughterminal inverting movement and for breaking circuit with initialrighting movement of said platform.

8; Container elevating and dumping means comprising a. housing having side walls, a top projecting arm on. each guide sleeve, a support shaft joumaled in. said arms. a platform supported-.by saidisupportshaft a vertical camway provided for each side of said housing and terminating at-the upper endsin. diagonalportions, anarmpivotedito each. sleeve and a roller on eacharmwith the rollers operating insaid camways, and operative; connections between; said arms pivotedand said platformfor. maintaining said platformin: an. upright position while said rollers: are: operating in the vertical portions of said: camways and. for invertingv said platform whensaid rollers project. into and:.operate in the diagonal portions. and righting the platform whenthe. rollers return to the vertical portion; an eccentric. formedon. each. end. portion of said SuPpOrt-ShaftbetWeen; said;arms,. with said platform supported on bearings rotatable on said eccentrics, a motor. supported. on said crossmemoer. andhaving .anioperative connection with saidsupport ShaftLfor. rotatingsaid support shaft for agitation of the inverted containers on said platform, cam means. associated withsaidplatform andcooperative with a camway formedin said. housing. a switch. cooperatively related to said cam during terminal elevating movement and controlling operation of said motor supported for operation only. when saidv platform is. in.- verted.

9. Elevating,v dumping and; agitating. means, and lowering. means for containers comprising, a housing having top, bottom,. and side walls, vertical guides in said housing, a sleeve slidable on each guide and having. a forwardly projectin arm,.a support shaft having eccentrics and rotatably supported. in said forwardly projecting.

arms, an intermediate shaft rotatably supported. in said forwardly projecting arms, a vertical slot. formed in each sidewalland terminating at the upper. end in a diagonal portion, a lever pivoted: to each sleeve and having an integral gear and having a roller at its outer. end operating inthe.

adjacentslot',v a gear. fixed on. each end. of said intermediate shaft and respectively meshingswith said integral gears, a first sprocket fixed on-and adjacent each end of said intermediate shaft, and

a secondsprocket rotatable on and adjacent each end of said support shaft, and a chain connecting each first and second sprocket, a cross-beam fixed to each second sprocket, a platform, a bearing said platform, a first motor, and a driving connection from said first motor to said support shaft:

for rotation thereof for creating agitation of said platform with its containers through said eccen-- tries,- and-elevating and lowering means cooperating with said sleeves and including a second motor, said driving connection including a first sheave rotatable on said intermediate shaft and a second sheave fixed on said support shaft, and a third sheave fixed to said first sheave and driven by said first motor, said bearing being slidably mounted on said platform to compensate for eccentric action through said support shaft.

10. A structure as defined in claim 9; a circuit for each motor, and a two-way switch normally open to said first motor and operated coincident with upward terminal travel of said rollers for breaking circuit to said second motor and coincidently making circuit to said first motor, a manually operable reversing switch for said second motor and including a normally closed switch for completing circuit for lowering said platform with said platform breaking circuit through said normally closed switch coincident with terminal lowering movement, said two Way 2 switch returning to normally open to said first motor coincident with initial return movement of said roller.

LOWELL J. COLLINS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date Amendolara June 10, 1930 Beck et al. Jan. 2, 1934 Mintert et a1 June 7, 1938 Deal Mar. 25, 1941 Schroeder Nov. 30, 1943 Folkenroth et al. Nov. 27, 1951 Van Doorne Apr. 8, 1952 Oliver Apr. 8, 1952 Forman June 3, 1952 Bauerle et al. Dec. 16, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany June 5, 1929 Germany Jan. 25, 1938 Australia Mar. 21, 1941 

